Odds and Ends: August 2023

Still don't have a better title.

The worst season of the year is almost over, and the best season of the year is almost here. On that note, here are some favorites from the dregs of summer.

EATING

Jordan Marsh’s Blueberry Muffins

We were fortunate enough to get three handpicked clamshells of blueberries from my Aunt, and this recipe was the perfect vessel for eating every last one. It works beautifully with all types of blueberries, from slightly sour too-small blueberries to supermarket-swollen quarter-sized blueberries. For a little extra crunch, we sprinkle turbinado sugar mixed with cinnamon on top.

LISTENING

Tallest Man on Earth, Shallow Grave

I was fortunate enough to discover Tallest Man on Earth from his debut album. His voice leads many people to make an obvious comparison to Bob Dylan, but I think Kristian Matsson’s voice has a much more impressive emotional range.

The Gardener is the most well-known song on the album, and in it, Kristian weaves a tale of a homicidal gardener who goes to extreme lengths to avoid his lover realizing that he isn’t necessarily who he claims to be and leaving.

I sense a runner in the garden
Although my judgment's known to fail
Once built a steamboat in a meadow
'Cause I'd forgotten how to sail

I know the runner's going to tell you
There ain't no cowboy in my hair
So now he's buried by the daisies
So I could stay the tallest man in your eyes, babe

Lyrically, the album works much better in practice than on paper, which I also think is true of another heavy bible-referencer, Sufjan Stevens. Three songs from this exceptional album can be enjoyed best in a Tiny Desk Concert (where else?!).

Other favorite late summer songs include:

• Summer’s Over: Jordana and TV Girl

Does what it says on the tin. Lovely, dreamy song about a summer fling at the end of the season.

• Any Way You Want Me (That’s How I Will Be): Elvis Presley

All of y’all probably know that I’ll wax poetic about Elvis and a handful of other people endlessly if you let me, and this is one of his finest songs. The Golden Records version is perfect, and it’s one of my favorite vocal performances.

• Red Dirt Girl: First Aid Kit (covering the amazing Emmylou Harris)

Emmylou’s ability to paint a picture and make you invested in every song is so special, and Red Dirt Girl is a shining example (seriously, it’s worth just reading the lyrics even if you don’t listen). It’s an incredibly moving song, and the tiny stylistic tweaks that my favorite sisterly duet, First Aid Kit, add to the mix elevate it into something devastating. They give the outro the gravitas it truly deserves.

But there won't be a mention in the news of the world
About the life and the death of a red dirt girl
Named Lillian
Who never got any farther
Across the line than Meridian

Now the stars still fall on Alabama
Tonight she finally laid
That hammer down without a sound
In the red dirt ground

WATCHING

Barbenheimer

Yes, I was one of the millions that did Barbenheimer. Yes, I am glad I did it. Yes, I think that people need to watch both of them before talking about them. :)

Sony Metamorphosis 1990 Analog HDTV High-Definition Dolby Surround Demonstration Videodisc

Ok, hear me out. This was originally made as a demo for Sony’s high-definition video system in 1990 ➡️ It starts with a variety of shots designed to show the amazing video quality and detail ➡️ However, it ends with an absolutely wild original song created just for the video and a massive group dance. The fashion is amazing, the song is an earworm, and I suppose it did make me want to bring back laserdisc.

PLAYING

Unpacking

I finally picked up Unpacking during the Fourth of July Steam sale, and it was well worth the price. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in (beyond the obvious game mechanics), so I was shocked to find myself fully invested in the story. I might be at the right age for playing it (late 20s-mid-30s) it probably hits the hardest), but seeing the objects that travel from year to year was surprisingly emotional.

It’s funny to think about the little pieces that we take from place to place throughout our lives. I was reminded of Macaroni (our pet bird)’s scoop that I use to get her seed every morning. It’s a tablespoon from a set of cheap plastic novelty Matryoshka measuring spoons my roommate and I picked up when we moved into our first apartment during our junior year of college. Half the set ended up melted in the dishwasher, but this single plastic measuring spoon has gone with me from college back to living with my parents again, to the apartment my husband and I shared on Main Street in Laurel, back to my parents’ house, and now to Pittsburgh. I wasn’t expecting a game like this to bring out any emotions beyond happy brain tickles from organizing things, so I highly recommend it if you want a fun and soothing game experience that still packs a surprising emotional punch.

MAKING

🎶 All the 🎶 fall things 🎶

PLANNING

The 7th Annual Boos & Brews

We haven’t been really sticking to the “brew” part of Boos & Brews for the past two years, but the name is too catchy for me to give it up. Over the course of October, my husband and I watch 31 (or more) horror movies. This might sound like a tall order, but the hardest part is often whittling down the list. This September, I’ll be brain-dumping in our shared list all month and sharing our best picks with you (as well as some of my best horror movie recs for a variety of horror viewers).

LOVING

Autumn from the Heart of the Home, Susan Branch

Susan Branch is in the same vein as Gooseberry Patch, and her books are some of the most breathtaking aspirational content I have ever seen. It’s like she took a look into the deepest recesses of my mind and created books of what they contain!

The recipes in the book are the perfect representation of the ambitious late 90s/early 00s suburban housewife, as they integrate ingredients that you might need to go to the fancy grocery store for but remain approachable thanks to simple techniques. Even if you aren’t the type of person who would actually serve figs & goat cheese and gorgonzola cream paired with crusty hot bread for a gathering of friends, you want to be and you could be. These books are Instagram before Instagram, and I love them so much.

I will be making many glasses of A Kiss in the Dark this fall.

“Choose the perfect pumpkin at a farmstand or pumpkin farm—then have a taffy pull outdoors.”

Today’s influencers have absolutely nothing on Susan. If any of y’all can figure out how to organize a taffy pull, I’m down to host. I’ll bring the wild mushroom toast.

SHARING